Indiana Conservation Officers and the DNR Division of Forestry are providing useful tips to landowners that can assist in protecting their valuable timber resources. To protect forestry resources, landowners should follow these steps:

1. Hire a consultant forester to represent you and to mark and advertise your timber sale.
2. Always get several bids from different timber buyers.
3. Ask questions and get references from the timber buyer.
4. Mark the trees to be cut with a paint mark on the stem and at ground level.
5. Know and understand the fine details of the contract.
6. Never make an oral agreement.
7. Know how much you will be paid and the method of payment.
8. Be a good neighbor and work out any property line disputes prior to harvesting.

The DNR offers a free information packet titled “callb4ucut” to those who may be considering harvesting their timber. See www.callb4ucut.com for further information.

For workshops on timber harvesting, check out the FNR Calendar and IN DNR Calendar.

For a list of consulting foresters, see The Indiana Forestry and Woodland Owners Association‘s (IFWOA) Directory of Professional Foresters.

Resources:

The Education Store, Purdue Extension (place in search field: “timber”)
Find an Indiana Professional Forester, Indiana Forestry & Woodland Owners Association (IFWOA)
Purdue Arboretum Explorer
Native Trees of the Midwest, Purdue University Press
Shrubs and Woody Vines of Indiana and the Midwest, Purdue University Press
Investing in Indiana Woodlands, The Education Store
Forest Improvement Handbook, The Education Store
ID That Tree, Purdue Extension-Forestry & Natural Resources (FNR) YouTube playlist
Woodland Management Moment , Purdue Extension-FNR YouTube playlist

Indiana Department of Natural Resources